By Connor Adams Sheets
The elite members of northeastern Queens will be showing off the finest duds straight from wardrobes of the colonial era up through the boutiques of today April 24 and they want all the gentlemen and ladies of the community to come out for the fun.
Fashions of the Decades, a fund-raiser benefit event for the Poppenhusen Institute, is slated to be one of the year’s quirkiest and most entertaining evenings as government leaders, disc jockeys and business people bust out the waistcoats, tri-corners, poodle skirts and leg-warmers for a time-travel journey through America’s fashions.
Luminary models at the fete will include Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of Community Board 7; Joe Femenia, president of the College Point Civic Association, and his wife Laura; City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone); state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose); DJs Kim and Jim from 102.7 Lite FM; and more.
The celebration will include hot hors d’oeuvres, fancy desserts, hot and cold beverages, a raffle and live music.
The event, which is $35 per person — tickets must be purchased by Tuesday — will take place at 7 p.m. at the 142-year-old landmark Poppenhusen Institute building at 114-04 14th Road in College Point.
Built by College Point’s benefactor Conrad Poppenhusen, the original charter of the institute declared it open to all people. It has housed a bank, library, court room, sheriff’s office, two jail cells still in the building and more in its time, but is probably best known for opening he first free kindergarten in the United States in 1870.
Today the Poppenhusen Institute serves the College Point community by providing a variety of lessons, tours, lectures and rental space.
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, send an e-mail to poppenhusen@juno.com or call 718-358-0067.
Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
